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Several activists and Movement Democratic Change (MDC) officials in South Africa have slammed a NGO that allegedly manipulated the plight of Zimbabwean refugees to raise funds for a repatriation programme.

MDC chairperson in SA, Austin Moyo, points out that hundreds of Zimbabwean refugees at the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg were duped into going back home, on the back of a promise of R7 000, computers, printers and scanners, to start Internet café's back home.

The heads of the umbrella organisation for all of Zimbabwe's NGOs have arrested amid worsening signs of the disintegration of the country's fragile coalition government.

Spokesperson, Farai Ngirande, says that chief executive of the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO), Cephas Zinumhwe, and NANGO chairperson, Dadirai Chikwengo, were arrested at the small airport in the northern resort town of Victoria Falls after a NANGO meeting.

Funda Centre is up and running again thanks to the efforts of Senior Citizens Focus Cooperative, a NGO that has taken over its affairs.

The Senior Citizens Focus Cooperative assumed control of the centre last year and has a 10-year lease. It is already offering 23 skills training courses to the community. About 5 400 people have already signed on for nursing, catering, carpentry and business skills.

International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sudan's Darfur region says armed men have kidnapped a French aid worker.

The ICRC named the kidnapped man as Gauthier Lefevre and said he was snatched in West Darfur state near the border with Chad. The agency said he was travelling in one of two clearly marked ICRC vehicles.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given the Nigerian government seven days ultimatum to commence collection of overdue revenue from six multinational oil companies including Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) or face legal action.

Human rights group, Ditshwanelo, has called on Batswana to exercise their democratic right to vote on 16 October 2009.

Ditshwanelo wants Batswana to recognise that by casting their ballot they are exercising a human right enshrined in the country’s law and exercising the right to choose representatives of their choice.

The organisation further urges Batswana to vote consciously. It says voting based on emotional factors is not responsible voting.

SANGONeT has urged NGOs have been urged to use MXit, a mobile instant messenger and social networking software application that enables individuals to chat anywhere from a mobile phone or PC for free, in carrying out their work.

Cell-Life has pledged to donate 5 000 free short messaging service (SMS-es) to CBOs and up to 100 000 to national NGOs working in the HIV/AIDS field.

Cell-Life’s Peter Benjamin, whose organisation was part of the Western Cape Emergency Task Team that launched ‘No To Xenophobia’ SMS line across the country after last year’s xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, says mobile phones are effective tool for conveying messages.

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has urged for a greater focus on food security.

Speaking at the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa, the philanthropist has argued that steps need to be taken to help the world’s poorest farmers boost their yields to not only help themselves out of poverty but also out of hunger.

Gates announced nine new grants totaling US$120 million to support small farmers.